Thread: Huge, brutal mass of arctic air threatens US 32 million people could get walloped

Arctic invasion: Brutal weather system threatens most of US with snow, ice, wind

NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports from Denver, where temperatures are well below normal. The state is just one of many affected by what some are calling the "Siberian Express," a dangerous cold weather system.

Video at the Page Link:

By Daniel Arkin, Henry Austin and Erin McClam, NBC News

An enormous, brutal mass of arctic air is shoving south over most of the United States — threatening 32 million people for the rest of the week with snow, ice, wind and extraordinary drops in the temperature.
Some of the country’s biggest cities are being hit: Ice threatens to knock out power in Dallas, Denver could get almost a foot of snow, and Chicago could plunge from the mid-50s on Wednesday to the low teens by Friday night.
“This cold air is going to overtake just about the entire country,” said Carl Parker, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel.

Full coverage from weather.com

In Duluth, Minn., more than 2 feet of snow fell Tuesday, and at least another foot is expected Wednesday. Many streets are already impassable, and police reported dozens of crashes on snowy roads. By Friday, the temperature there could be minus 22.
A winter storm has brought heavy snowfall to Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota among other states in the region. In the West, parts of Oregon were hit with more than 9 inches of snow and the foothills near Sparks, Nev., saw 8.5 inches. Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports from Duluth, Minn.

The heavy snow in Minnesota is expected to be compounded by wind as strong as 40 mph. Because the snow is relatively light in weight, not the soggy, clumpy variety, it could cause “ground blizzard” conditions there, Parker said.
The weather system is also expected to bring heavy snow to the Rockies and ice to the Plains. But it is most notable for its incredible reach. Only the coastal states of the East are expected to be spared.
In Pullman, Wash., the temperature fell below zero on Wednesday for the first time in almost three years. In Oregon, authorities closed part of Interstate 84 on Tuesday as trucks jackknifed in the snow.
In California, temperatures Wednesday fell into the 30s in typically mild San Francisco. In the Central Valley, where 85 percent of the citrus crop is still on the vine, growers are worried about devastating damage.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas for Thursday. In Lubbock, Texas, the high on Tuesday was 77. The low Saturday morning could be below 10.
The weather service reported 6 inches of snow at Jacob Lake, Ariz., and the temperature at Ely, Nev., reached minus 17 early Wednesday morning, and the wind chill overnight hovered at about minus 30.
A winter storm is heading toward the Pacific Northwest and, besides bringing chilly temperatures and cold winds, is expected to drop heavy snow.

Provo, Utah, more used to snow this time of year, got 8 and a half inches on Tuesday, and the airport at Salt Lake City got 5.8 inches, shattering the previous record for the date by more than 2 inches.
Texas and the Mid-South — as far south as Dallas and all the way up to Paducah, Ky., faced what Kevin Noth, a lead meteorologist for The Weather Channel, called “the big ice threat,” as much as an inch.
“We measure ice in thickness,” he said, “and generally speaking, a half-inch is significant because it weighs down the trees and the power lines, causing power outages.”
The ice threat for the second half of the week will come as the arctic air mass combines with moisture streaming north from the Gulf of Mexico.
In the Dakotas, the extreme cold posed a threat to cattle ranchers, who lost thousands of their stock in a blizzard in early October. The good news is that cattle have grown some of their winter hair by now, providing insulation.
“Cattle are a hardy species,” Julie Ellingson, executive vice president of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, told The Associated Press. “They can endure a lot.”
Daniella Silva of NBC News contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on Tue Dec 3, 2013 9:46 AM EST

451 comments

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...-ice-wind?lite

Photos: Bitter cold snap slams Western US

10 must-knows about weather-related insurance claims

http://www.alipac.us/f19/nearly-1000...ze-u-s-293046/

7pm Update – Winter Storm Update – Conditions Rapidly Deteriorating Across North Texas

19:04 Thursday, 05 December 2013 Jenny Brown

Rain has changed over to sleet over most of north Texas including the DFW metro area, and road conditions are rapidly deteriorating. Many of the bridges and overpasses are already iced over; however, highway crews are out treating the ice as fast as they can. Still, there’s just no way in heck they will be able to keep up with the prolific amount of sleet that is falling, so once you’re home, please STAY there and stay OFF the roads tonight and tomorrow morning unless you absolutely have to travel. Multiple accidents have already been reported…probably a dozen or so ice-related. Also starting to see reports of residential roads and sidewalks starting to ice over in northern Tarrant County…one report of “thundersleet” came in from Plano…and reports of tree damage are coming in from northeast of the DFW metro area up towards Paris. It’s getting bad out there right now, and it’s just going to get worse throughout the night and tomorrow morning.

As you can see from the radar image above, the bulk of the current precipitation is situated mainly north of the DFW metro area around Bonham, Sherman/Dennison and over to Gainsville, then west and southwest towards Jacksboro and Cisco. Additional precip is developing down around Midland and San Angelo and this area of precipitation is expected to expand and make it into the DFW metro area after midnight. The freezing line is moving through the metroplex, and with lows tonight forecasted to be in the mid to upper 20′s, there’s no doubt that the entire region will be an icy mess of apocalyptic proportions by tomorrow morning.
Here’s the current snapshot of the various Warnings and Advisories currently in place. We will have staff here all night and will keep you up to date on any updates. I think I can safely say…it’s gonna be a long night! Stay safe everyone!


http://www.texasstormchasers.com/201...-texas-update/